Board Approves Health Benefit Allowance

Tuesday, October 16th 2007, 1:42 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Legislative Compensation Commission has voted to increase the health insurance benefit for state lawmakers to make it equal to the benefit received by state employees.

Beginning January 1, the monthly benefit for state employees will range from $554 for single coverage to $1,443 for family coverage.

Legislators will have to wait until 15 days after the next general election in 2008 to get the benefit under the Oklahoma Constitution, according to Shelly Paulk of the Office of State Finance. Paulk presented the benefit proposal to the compensation board.

Commission member James Farris made the motion for the increase at a meeting on Monday. Farris said it was appropriate that all employees of the state get the same insurance benefit.

The commission left legislators' salaries at the current level of $38,400 a year.

The Legislative Compensation Commission was created by a vote of the people to set legislative salaries. It last raised the pay of lawmakers in 1998.